About the School of Information Studies
The School of Information Studies prepares students for careers in libraries and the information professions. The School’s array of graduate programs provides students with the opportunity to develop attitudes associated with progressive information services, and to develop an understanding of the value, role, and application of modern technology as it relates to library operations and the transfer of information.
In harmony with the mission of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a major urban research institute, the School of Information Studies strives to make significant contributions towards extending and enhancing the quality of information services and the promotion of information and technological literacy to a diverse society. The School of Information Studies is committed to excellence in instruction, research, and service.
Goals of the school are:
- To prepare professionals who are able to provide leadership and adapt to change in a technological and knowledge-based environment for careers in libraries, school media centers, information systems, and related areas, according to accepted professional standards.
- To enrich the library and information science profession through recruitment of students with strong academic skills from diverse cultural, geographic, and subject backgrounds.
- To enable undergraduate students to achieve qualifications to pursue careers in the information professions through the provision of degree and certificate programs.
- To enable students to develop specializations in the information professions at the graduate level through the provision of single and dual degree programs.
- To promote a research orientation through participation in the Doctor of Philosophy degree program.
- To contribute to the international knowledge base of library and information science through research and publication.
- To facilitate the development, provision, and evaluation of library and information services through consultation services to individual organizations and leadership in professional associations locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally.
- To offer opportunities for professionals and the wider community to update their skills and knowledge through advanced and continuing education courses, workshops, and programs offered nationally and internationally.
Related Advanced Certificates
- Certificate of Advanced Study in Archives and Records Administration
- Certificate in Digital Libraries
MLIS Program
The purpose of the MLIS program is to prepare librarians and information professionals who are able to manage change in an urbanized, technologically oriented, and knowledge-based society. The MLIS program provides a systematic course of study which enables individuals with a strong service orientation to apply principles of library and information science, use current methods and tools, and recognize the value of research.
Students may elect to specialize according to the type of library or information service which best meets their needs: i.e., school, public, academic, or special; or to follow a more generalized approach. Concentrations in archival studies, information organization, information technology, and public libraries are available.
Graduates of the Master of Library and Information Science degree program are expected to demonstrate the following competencies:
- To apply scientific principles in developing and managing information resources designed to meet user needs and interests.
- To analyze, describe, and organize resources for effective and efficient retrieval and dissemination of information.
- To utilize knowledge of information sources, services, and systems to meet the informational needs of users.
- To apply management principles in planning, developing, marketing, and evaluating library and information services.
- To work in specialized areas of library and information service, utilizing knowledge obtained from concentrations within the School and in other disciplines.
- To build upon current knowledge of information and communication theories and technologies in planning, design, development, and delivery of information services.
The master’s degree program is designed to support each of these objectives with appropriate coursework and educational experiences.
The School of Information Studies offers students the opportunity to obtain certification from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as library media specialists or school librarians. Students admitted to the Master of Library and Information Science degree program can incorporate in their degree program the courses for these licenses to the extent that these courses satisfy the degree requirements, either as required core courses or as electives. For additional information about these licenses and their relationship to the master’s degree, consult the School Library Media Coordinator.
The advanced courses offered by the School of Information Studies may be selected on a non-degree basis by post-master’s students who wish to continue their professional education or special competence in some phase of urban library and information services. The School’s graduate courses are also open to graduate students in other fields of study, provided that they have completed the appropriate basic courses (or their equivalent).
Coordinated Degree Programs
In cooperation with the Peck School of the Arts; the College of Health Sciences; and the College of Letters and Science, the School of Information Studies offers the following coordinated degree programs:
M.S./MLIS
A Master of Science in Anthropology/Master of Library and Information Science to prepare students for positions as curators of museum libraries and as information specialists and researchers for local history collections and state historical societies, 51 credits.
M.A./MLIS
A Master of Arts in English/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as humanities librarians and curators of special subject collections in the humanities, 51 credits.
M.A./MLIS
A Master of Arts in Geography/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as map librarians, 48 credits.
M.S./MLIS
A Master of Science in Health Care Informatics/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as clinical informationists, 56 credits.
M.A./MLIS
A Master of Arts in History/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as archivists, 48 credits.
MSIST/MLIS
A Master of Science in Information Science and Technology/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions in information technology in all types of libraries, 54 credits.
MALLT/MLIS
A Master of Arts in Language, Literature, and Translation/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as librarians in a variety of libraries and curators of special subject collections, 51 credits.
M.M./MLIS
A Master of Music/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as music librarians. Students in the M.M. degree program will pursue a concentration in Music History and Literature, 54 credits.
M.S./MLIS
A Master of Science in Urban Studies/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as urban information specialists, 54 credits.
M.A./MLIS
A Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as information specialists in institutions of higher learning, libraries, and research centers, 54 credits.
Prerequisite to the award of either degree in these coordinated programs is the simultaneous award of its counterpart degree. For additional information on these programs, see the Anthropology, English, Language, Literature, and Translation, Geography, Health Care Informatics, History, Music, Urban Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies sections of this website.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Application
An applicant must apply to both the Graduate School and the School of Information Studies.
Admission
An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus the following additional requirements of the School of Information Studies to be considered for admission to the program:
- Applicants from foreign institutions are required to submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. The minimum acceptable score is 550 PBT or 79 iBT. A score of 6.5 or higher on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) may be submitted in lieu of the TOEFL.
- A one to two page reason statement outlining your background and your educational and professional goals.
No prior coursework in library/information science is required. A student whose undergraduate grade point average is below 2.75 (4.0 basis) may be considered for admission on probation. See the Admission on Probation Website.
Credits and Courses
The minimum degree requirement is 36 graduate credits, 30 of which must be in library and information science and up to 6 of which may be in related areas. Students who have already completed a master’s or doctoral degree in a field other than library science may have the library and information science master’s program reduced to 30 credits. Under special circumstances, up to 6 of these credits may be from another field in a closely allied area with advisor consent. Students who have completed library science courses at the undergraduate level may, upon request, have their coursework reviewed to determine whether the content was the equivalent of that in required courses in the School of Information Studies Program. However, the establishment of such equivalencies will not reduce the total number of credits required for the master’s degree in library and information science, but merely enable the student to avoid unnecessary repetition.
The number of credits needed for each of the coordinated degree programs is 12 credits less than the sum of credits of the two programs if taken separately. All degree requirements of each component program, however, must be satisfied. This includes makeup courses for deficiencies, required courses, and graduation proficiency requirements. The MLIS component of each coordinated program includes 30 credits of SOIS courses including the 12 credits of required courses.
The following are basic required courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| INFOST 501 | Foundations of Library and Information Science | 3 |
| INFOST 511 | Organization of Information | 3 |
| INFOST 571 | Information Access and Retrieval | 3 |
| INFOST 799 | Research Methods in Information Studies | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Minimum Grade Requirement in the Required Courses
The minimum grade requirement for the required courses is a B. Students who earn a grade of B- or lower have not met the minimum requirement and will be allowed to repeat the required course once. Students are responsible for tuition in the repeated course; no credit is earned from the first attempt at the required course, or any required course for which a B- or lower is earned. Materials and assignments used previously may not be reused or resubmitted when retaking a required course unless approved by the instructor. Those who do not meet the minimum grade requirements upon repeating the course will be recommended for academic dismissal. Students may not register for a course for which any of the required courses is a prerequisite until the minimum grade requirement is met.
Culminating Experience Requirement in Library and Information Science
Effective Fall 2016, INFOST 799 meets the requirement for the culminating event for the MLIS program. If 591 was taken prior to the fall of 2016, it can still be used to meet the culminating event requirement. Said course must be taken in SOIS and cannot be transferred into the program.
Thesis Option
Students may choose the thesis option in order to satisfy the program requirements and must take at least three credits of thesis coursework in addition to the 36 credits required for the comprehensive examination option, making the minimum credits required for the thesis option 39 credits. However, only 3 credits of thesis coursework may count toward the total degree credit requirement of 39.
Those who already have a graduate degree must complete a minimum of 33 credits for this option. Students who choose the thesis option in the coordinated master's degree programs also need to take an additional 3 credits of thesis coursework. Thus, while total degree credits vary among the coordinated master's programs, the Master of Library and Information Science component of each requires 33 credits of SOIS coursework, three of which would be taken as thesis credit.
Students pursuing thesis options in both programs will be required to fulfill each program's thesis requirement and complete two separate theses. Students in the thesis option must take a minimum of 3 credits of research methods. A course other than INFOST 799 may be chosen in consultation with the major professor. Additional courses that do not count toward degree requirements may be required by individual circumstances.
Students must complete the required MLIS and research methods course before they will be allowed to defend the thesis proposal. Students must register for INFOST 898: Master's Thesis (1-3 credits), during every semester of thesis work. Students may select the thesis option at any point in their course of study, but are encouraged to make this decision and form their thesis committee as early as possible to avoid the necessity of taking additional coursework.
The faculty advisor assigned to each student upon admission may serve as the student's thesis advisor, but is not required to do so. It is the student's responsibility to enter into a mutually agreed upon advising relationship with a thesis advisor in SOIS, who then serves as chair of the thesis committee.
Students must pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis. The thesis defense may be repeated once. A student may withdraw from the thesis option; however, the student would need to meet all course requirements for the MLIS degree.
Library Media Certification Programs
Requirements: 1902 License
The following SOIS courses are required for the MLIS with Library Media Certification in Wisconsin.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Information Studies | ||
| INFOST 501 | Foundations of Library and Information Science | 3 |
| INFOST 511 | Organization of Information | 3 |
| INFOST 520 | Managing Library Collections | 3 |
| INFOST 571 | Information Access and Retrieval | 3 |
| INFOST 640 | Information Literacy Instruction | 3 |
| INFOST 642 | School Library Media Programs and Resources | 3 |
| INFOST 644 | Clinical Experience in School Libraries | 2-3 |
| INFOST 645 | Library Materials for Children | 3 |
| INFOST 646 | Library Materials for Young Adults | 3 |
| INFOST 647 | Library Services for Children and Young Adults | 3 |
| INFOST 670 | Instructional Technologies | 3 |
| INFOST 691 | Special Topics in Information Science: (Cataloging for Small/School Libraries or equivalent) | 1 |
| INFOST 799 | Research Methods in Information Studies | 3 |
| Total Credits | 36-37 | |
This program will provide school library certification to those who hold a Wisconsin teaching license. Candidates who do not hold a teaching license must also complete post-baccalaureate education coursework and activities to earn the MLIS and school library certification. Students in states other than Wisconsin must consult with their own licensing agencies to determine whether working with our program will meet that state’s licensure requirements.
Additional Requirements
Time Limit
Students in the 36-credit program must complete all degree requirements within seven years of initial enrollment. Students in the 30-credit program must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.
Library and Information Science MLIS Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the master’s program in Library and Information Science (MLIS) will be able to:
- Critically assess the philosophy, principles, culture, ethics or values of library and information science.
- Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to develop and evaluate library and information services and systems.
- Outline how library and information services may serve the needs of a diverse global society.
- Apply knowledge of research methods in library and information science to investigate an issue of relevance to the field.
See the full list of ALA Core Competencies here.
Accelerated Program Option
This program is offered as part of an accelerated graduate program. For more information, see Accelerated Graduate Degrees.